The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to improving livelihoods in the Niger Delta through the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Project and other intervention programmes.
The Coordinator of LIFE-ND, Dr. Jarus Uvieghara, disclosed this during a sensitisation campaign in Port Harcourt. He explained that the project, which covers the nine Niger Delta states—Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers – is designed to empower young people and women in rural communities through agriculture.
According to him, LIFE-ND focuses on seven commodities: cassava, rice, cocoa, oil palm, plantain, fish and poultry, with each state selecting four commodities based on local demand. The project runs on an incubation model, which links youths with experienced agripreneurs who train them to become agricultural business experts.
“We have a situation where youths who had no prior knowledge of fish farming or poultry now become trainers themselves. It is a continuous process that builds an ecosystem of agribusiness experts across the value chain,” Dr. Uvieghara said.
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He added that President Bola Tinubu recently approved an additional $32 million through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to upscale the project across the Niger Delta states.
Also speaking, Dr. Helen Nsirim, Public Relations Officer of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, highlighted key achievements of the Tinubu-led administration in the South-South region over the past two years.
These include the payment of a new ₦70,000 minimum wage to civil servants, the ongoing construction of the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the passage of four new tax reform bills to boost revenue and investments, the disbursement of ₦500 million to 1,797 farmers through LIFE-ND in Edo State, and the rollout of the Students’ Loan Scheme under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
She also listed the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, the Renewed Hope Housing Scheme, and financial support through the Bank of Industry as other major initiatives impacting lives in the region.
“In just two years, the Tinubu administration has delivered tangible programmes and reforms that are touching lives in the South-South. What is left is for citizens to key into these opportunities by registering and applying for them,” Nsirim said.
The sensitisation campaign featured testimonies from beneficiaries of LIFE-ND and other federal programmes, who shared how the initiatives had improved their livelihoods.
